Meeting Procedures Guidelines

Agreed by:  National Health Committee

Date: 8 August 2011

Date of next review: 1 July 2012

1 PURPOSE

1.1 The National Advisory Committee on Health and Disability (also known as the National Health Committee or NHC) is free to regulate its procedure in any manner it thinks fit, subject to any written directions given to it by the Minister of Health (section 11(3)(b), New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000).

1.2 These guidelines are designed to set out agreed meeting procedure in respect of the National Advisory Committee on Health and Disability, also known as the National Health Committee (NHC).

1.3 These guidelines may be amended by the NHC from time to time.

1.4 The operation of the guidelines will be reviewed by the NHC by the date listed at the head of the document.

1.5 These guidelines will be published on the NHC’s website, alongside the NHC’s Terms of Reference, and should be read in conjunction with those Terms of Reference.

2  NOTICE OF MEETINGS

2.1 The Chair of the NHC, in consultation with the NHC, must appoint the times and places of ordinary meetings of the NHC, and give notice of those meetings to each member not present when the appointment is made.

2.2 The Chair or any two members (or, if the NHC consists of only two members, either member) may call a special meeting of the NHC by giving at least five working days' notice (or any shorter notice period that all the members agree) of the meeting, and the business to be transacted at the meeting.  Only the business stated in the notice of the special meeting may be transacted at the meeting.

2.3 Notice of a meeting:

1. must be written, and state the time and place of the meeting, and
2. may be given by post, delivery, or electronic communication.

2.4 An irregularity in a notice of a meeting is waived if all members entitled to receive the notice either:

1. attend the meeting without protesting about the irregularity, or
2. do not attend the meeting, but agree before the meeting is held to the waiver of the irregularity.

3 AGENDAS AND ASSOCIATED REPORTS

3.1 No later than five working days prior to an ordinary meeting of the NHC being held, the Chair shall ensure that an agenda and any associated reports are distributed to all members.

3.2 The agenda will describe in general terms the matters to be considered by the NHC at its meeting.

3.3 Should a special meeting be called in accordance with paragraph 2.2, the agenda and any associated reports must be distributed to all members as soon as is reasonable in the circumstances.

3.4 An agenda and any associated reports may be given by post, delivery, or electronic communication.

4 METHODS OF HOLDING MEETINGS

4.1 An NHC meeting may be held by a quorum of the members, those members being assembled together at the time and place appointed for the meeting and/or by means of audio, audio and visual, or electronic communication, provided that:

1. all of the members who wish to participate in the meeting have access to the technology needed to participate in the meeting, and
2. a quorum of members can simultaneously communicate with each other throughout the meeting.

5 QUORUM

5.1 A quorum for an NHC meeting is the number that is:

1. half the number of members (if the NHC has an even number of members), or
2. a majority of the members (if the NHC has an odd number of members).

5.2 If the NHC has only two members, the quorum for a meeting is both members.

5.3 No business may be transacted at an NHC meeting if a quorum is not present.

6 SPECIAL PROVISIONS WHERE ONLY ONE MEMBER IS AVAILABLE TO ACT

6.1 This section applies while the NHC has only one member who is available (e.g., because of vacancies or because conflict of interest provisions apply to one more members).
6.2 The quorum for a meeting of the NHC is one.
6.3  The available member:

1. may appoint the times and places of ordinary meetings, and
2. may call a special meeting, and
3. need not send a notice of meeting for those meetings.

7 PRESIDING AT MEETINGS

7.1 At a meeting of the NHC, the following person presides:

1. if there is a Chair and he or she is present and is not interested in the matter, the Chair, or
2. if there is no Chair or he or she is not present or is interested in the matter, an Acting Chair appointed in accordance with the NHC’s Terms of Reference (who may exercise all the powers and functions of the chairperson for the purposes of the meeting).

8 DECISION-MAKING AT MEETINGS

8.1 Every question before any meeting shall generally be determined by consensus decision-making.
8.2 Where a consensus cannot be reached, each member has one vote.
8.3 In addition to his or her general vote, the Chair at a meeting has, in the case of an equality of votes, a casting vote.
8.4 A resolution of the NHC is passed if it is agreed to by all members present without dissent or if a majority of the votes cast on it are in favour of it.
8.5 A member present at an NHC meeting is presumed to have agreed to, and to have voted in favour of, a resolution of the NHC unless he or she expressly dissents from or votes against the resolution at the meeting.

9 UNANIMOUS WRITTEN RESOLUTIONS

9.1 A resolution signed or assented to in writing (whether sent by post, delivery, or electronic communication) by all members is as valid and effectual as if it had been passed at a meeting of the NHC duly called and constituted.

9.2 The resolution may consist of several documents containing the same resolution, each signed or assented to in writing by one or more members.

10 MEETING DOCUMENTATION AND RECORD-KEEPING

10.1 The NHC will record the proceedings of all meetings in writing.  Such records will be available to all NHC members and, in respect of each NHC meeting, will comprise the agenda, associated reports and minutes of meetings (which will include statements regarding any conflicts of interest, any decisions taken and any recommendations made).
10.2 Unconfirmed minutes of meetings will be distributed to members by post, delivery, or electronic communication, no later than five working days following each meeting.  Minutes from meetings (either ordinary or special) will be confirmed by the NHC at the next NHC meeting (either ordinary or special).
10.3 Separate Registers will be maintained covering Interests, Risks, Gifts and Hospitality, and Attendance.  Reference to these will be included as appropriate in the documentation for each NHC meeting.